Unbelievable
by A Thousand Undiscovered Stars
Summary: AU. Rosalie Hale never asked to be a vampire, but she lost more than anyone ever knew - didn't she? With the arrival of Forks High School's newest student, she's not quite sure anymore. Truths will come to light and bonds will be formed through shared pain. Like mother, like daughter. Warning: M for non-graphic mention of rape and abuse.
1. Isabella

**Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga does not belong to me! All known characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer!**

**Unbelievable**

**Chapter One: Isabella**

I sighed deeply as I pulled into the parking lot of my own personal piece of hell: Forks High School. In the seat next to me, my husband Emmett grinned widely. He knew just how much I detested the fact that my siblings and I were forced to repeat high school time and time again.

Of course, I knew that it was the only way for our family to remain in one area for any length of time. After all, the human population of this small, rainy town may not be very bright, but even they would notice that my family didn't age. Not that they would immediately jump to the correct conclusion that we were vampires, but it was best to avoid suspicion whenever possible.

I reluctantly got out of my car, a beautiful red convertible BMW M3. It was my pride and joy, and I'd spent a number of hours tweaking the engine until it ran perfectly. None of the family's cars were anything less than flawless, after I got through with them.

Emmett joined me, wrapping his arm securely around my shoulders, and I relaxed into his embrace. My mate and I thrived on physical contact, far more than my siblings' and our parents' relationships did. We expressed ourselves through touch more than words, and it worked perfectly for us.

As we approached the school doors, I thanked my lucky stars that I would only be forced to suffer through half a day of tedious classes. It'd been a rarely sunny morning, earlier in the day, so it was already lunchtime. Fortunately for the humans, we'd already been hunting the previous night and we abstained from human blood altogether.

"I wonder if Mrs. Cope will be happy to see you, Jasper." Emmett teased our brother, mentioning the school receptionist. Despite the fact that the woman was in her late thirties – and _married_ – we all knew that she had a crush on Jasper.

Alice giggled at her mate's expense, and he glared at her playfully. Still, despite his feigned anger, my "younger brother" was a true southern gentleman, and he couldn't resist opening the door for his mate.

My sister danced lightly up to the reception desk to sign us all in, and I waited impatiently until the woman told us we could go to the lunchroom. But even I had to crack a smile when I heard the human's heartbeat pick up when Jasper turned to follow us out into the hall.

We strode through the school at an annoyingly human pace, but it wasn't so bad, as I walked close to my monkey man. He placed a small kiss on top of my head, and I smiled up at him, leaning up into a passionate kiss. After we pulled apart, I looked at Alice questioningly when she hummed quietly.

"There's a new student today," she answered my silent question, frowning dissatisfiedly. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something different about her."

"What do you mean, darlin'?" Jasper wondered aloud. We had all learned long ago not to doubt Alice's visions. Hell, the family motto was: "Never bet against Alice." So, for her to admit that something wasn't right with her visions was disturbing.

The pixie-like vampire shook her head. "I don't know, but…" she hesitated. "I don't think that I can _see_ her, Jazz. In my vision, all I saw was a few of the students talking about the new girl," she shrugged, and I frowned.

"As long as this girl is human, she poses no threat to us," I shrugged it off, and the boys nodded in agreement. "It's possible that this girl has a bit of a latent talent, like Eleazer told us about," I suggested.

Eleazer, our cousin, had the gift of reading other vampires' and, in rare cases, humans' gifts. Although, he'd explained to us that gifts are nearly always latent and uncontrollable in their human incarnation. He'd even suggested that Alice likely had her sight in her human lifetime, though it was likely that she had been unable to control it at all.

Jasper nodded in agreement. "You're probably right, Rose. The girl might be a potential shield. If she is, then her gift would be beyond her control, completely subconscious, most likely," he noted, as we resumed our walk to the cafeteria in comfortable silence, though Alice's eyes were gleaming with curiosity.

The humans' voices began to wash over us, as we got closer, and it was obvious that the entire student body was buzzing with excitement over the new student's arrival. Apparently, she was Chief Swan's new foster daughter. Every once in a while, he took in one of the older kids, the ones who were almost eighteen, so it wasn't much of a surprise that she was living there with him.

Clearly, she must be something to look at because all the girls were seething and the boys were in a frenzy of lust. Still, I doubted that she could rival my looks, even without the vampiric enhancements that had come with the change. I'd always been exceptionally stunning, even as a human.

I listened idly to the gossip, scoffing when one boy boldly declared that he could have her in bed by the end of the week. It was doubtful that he could manage it, unless the girl was just that easy, considering that the human boy was notorious for lack of anything resembling tact when it came to the fairer sex.

The other humans seemed to have little knowledge of the girl, though that didn't stop them from speculating wildly about any and every aspect of her life. Suddenly, I drew a sharp breath as I overheard something that deeply disturbed me.

Emmett looked at me in concern as I stopped suddenly. "Rosie? Babe, what's wrong?" he murmured worriedly, automatically using the nickname that I would only tolerate from him.

I opened my mouth to respond but nothing came out. Jasper was watching me sharply, clearly alerted to my distress by his gift. It was near impossible to hide your true feelings from an empath, after all.

I swallowed back a bit of my emotion. "I'm fine, Em," I told him, smiling a bit when he looked at me disbelievingly. "I just need a minute or two. You three go ahead, and I'll meet you in there, okay?"

They exchanged concerned glances before reluctantly acquiescing. My mate placed a gentle kiss on my cheek before he left. He had always been so attuned to my emotions, ever the consummate protector of me and the family. His impressive brawn and joking nature belied his equally impressive intelligence.

Once they were gone, I released a shaky breath. Generally, I had excellent control of my emotions, but I'd caught the new girl's name and it caught me off guard. Her name was Isabella, and hearing it was like feeling the jolt of my cousin, Kate's power.

None of my family knew it, not even my mate, but I'd had a daughter when I was human. I had been young, just barely eighteen when she was born, and her father was just some guy I'd met in a club. But I had loved her more than anything else in the world, my perfect little miracle.

I named her Isabella Violet Hale, and I had never been happier than the first time that I held her in my arms. There were so many things that I wanted to teach her as she grew up, so many things that I wanted to experience with her. Oh, how I looked forward to raising her and watching her grow! But it wasn't meant to be, and God took her from me the same day that she was born, a bit more than seventeen years ago.

Of course, I was absolutely devastated by her death, and I hadn't been able to handle hearing the name, since that day. So, to hear that the new girl shared the same name as my precious baby girl was a painful reminder, to say the least.

Pushing the memories away for the moment, I forced myself to regain my calm. It wouldn't do to break down in a public school, of all places, and my family was waiting for me to join them. Still, I found my attention drawn to the table that was entertaining the girl with all of the gossip on my family. It seemed that she had asked about us.

"The four kids were all adopted, the two Cullens and the Hales, who are brother and sister. They live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife, and they're all paired up _together_, the four of them," I heard Jessica Stanley say scornfully, her jealousy badly concealed.

The girl…Isabella…scoffed under her breath. "They're not related at all, Jessica, and you can't honestly say that you'd turn one of them down if they lived with you," she said dismissively, and I smirked. "But you said that there were four of them. I only see three," she noted.

Angela Weber spoke up, her voice kinder than her shallow companion's. "Alice Cullen, the black-haired girl, is with Jasper Hale, the blond guy. Emmett Cullen, the big guy with them, is with Rosalie Hale, the one missing. They all seem very happy together," she said kindly. My family and I had noticed that Angela was a very kind person, and Jasper told us that she was the most genuine person in all of Forks, from what he could tell.

Isabella's breath hitched when she heard my name, and I listened more intently. "That's not possible, it can't be," she muttered under her breath, before Jessica interrupted her.

"Rosalie is the Ice Queen of Forks High," she said spitefully, before pausing. "You know, you look just like her, except for the eyes," she murmured suspiciously, causing their table to fall silent.

"What do you mean?" Isabella questioned intensely, and I was surprised by her voice. It was far clearer, more distinct and ringing than any other human's voice that I'd heard. It was beautiful, really.

"Take a look for yourself, you'll see what I mean," Jessica muttered, catching sight of my entrance and glaring half-heartedly in my direction. The girl wouldn't dare to look at me in such a way, if she knew that I could see her from the corner of my eye.

Unfortunately, I couldn't quite see Isabella from my current vantage point, but she gasped when she saw me. I was curious at the fact that the humans compared her to me. I'd always been, to put it bluntly, beyond comparison, so it was a bit of a shock for me to hear.

"It can't be. It's just not possible," she whispered, quietly enough that her tablemates would have a hard time hearing, but the words reached my ears easily, just as I took a seat by Emmett's side.

I looked up, surreptitiously glancing in her direction, and when I saw her I froze. I'd thought that the human girls were exaggerating when they said that she looked just like me, but they had spoken the truth. It was like looking in the mirror, from the shimmering long blond hair to the luminous fair skin to the distinctive lavender-blue eyes that I'd had as a human.

I couldn't deny that she was absolutely gorgeous, perhaps even enough to have surpassed my beauty from when I was human. And I was Rosalie Hale, likely one of the vainest people ever to walk the earth. So, it was a very big deal for me to admit that her beauty would likely surpass mine, if she were a vampire.

"What's not possible, Isabella?" Angela asked quietly, a note of genuine concern in her voice, when she saw the rattled look on Isabella's face. Her eyes were wide and her heartbeat accelerated, as if she had seen a ghost. I wondered briefly if she knew what we were, but I dismissed the idea as quickly as it entered my mind.

"It's nothing, Angela," she said, shaking her head and standing from the table. "We should get to class," she said briskly, walking toward the exit just as the bell rang to signal the end of the lunch period.

My eyes followed her out, drawn to this strange, beautiful girl who looked so much like me. I only looked away when Alice called my name, glancing between myself and the girl. Clearly, I'd caught their concern with my obvious interest in the new student.

"Is everything okay, Rose?" she asked cautiously, and I debated on whether I should say anything.

Deciding against it, I gave a small smile, placing a light kiss on my mate's cheek. "Everything is fine, Alice. I'll see you all after school is over," I called over my shoulder, striding out of the cafeteria, sparing a reassuring glance for my mate, who smiled understandingly back at me.

By the time that I entered my fifth period European History class, I'd put the oddity of the new girl's resemblance to myself out of my mind, but then I realized that there was someone sitting in the previously-empty seat next to mine. It was her, Isabella.

I didn't allow my surprise to show on my face, instead striding calmly to take my seat. Briefly, I wondered about the girl's surname. I'd only heard her referred to by her first name. It was no real concern of mine, but I felt, for some reason, as if it was important.

I took a deep breath, and was again stunned by the girl sitting next to me. Her scent permeated the air, a pleasant aroma of violets and vanilla. Simultaneously, I could hear each pulse of the blood in her body, but neither sensation incited my bloodlust. It was as if she were a vampire, all the aromatic appeal with none of the burning, endless thirst as a consequence.

My concentration on the strange phenomenon was interrupted when the bell rang, signaling the start of fifth period, and the instructor, Mr. Creak, entered the room. He quickly greeted the class, as per usual, before beginning take attendance. It was a tedious, but understandably necessary, ritual.

I waited, paying little attention, for him to reach my name, idly listening for the new girl's last name to appear within the list. However, just as I prepared to answer him, when he should have reached my name on the list, he paused.

"Isabella Hale," he called curiously, eyes wide with confusion, and I froze.

That wasn't possible. It couldn't be. She was dead – they told me that she was dead! But I knew the truth, in my still heart, even before she spoke.

"Here," she called in a clear voice, speaking up from beside me. The response was expected, yet it blew me away just the same, as if it had come out of thin air.

Vaguely, I heard the other students murmuring in surprise and curiosity, all of their attention focused in our direction. The teacher hushed them half-heartedly, clearly just as intrigued as his students. I paid them no mind, though, I was focused on something of far greater importance.

It was her: the girl who shared my looks and beauty, the one who shared my family name, the one I'd mourned for seventeen years… She was right here, beside me, and I couldn't believe it. It was her, my Isabella…

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Hello, everyone! After an extended hiatus, I am once again back and ready to resume writing! Unfortunately for those of you who have been loyal readers, I have chosen to begin by making some much-needed updates/edits to my original stories. However, I will get caught up eventually! So, please bear with me for the time being!**

**A few things that to keep in mind when reading this story:**

**1: I've taken liberties with both Rosalie's history and personality. This story will be completely from her point of view, as well.**

**2: Isabella's appearance has been changed to fit this story better, as has her own history. The original "Bella Swan" from the books irritates me with her weakness, so my own Bella will be nothing like her.**

**I hope that you all enjoyed the new-and-improved first chapter! I'm really looking forward to getting back into writing once more! Review and let me know what you thought!**

**~A Thousand Undiscovered Stars~**


	2. Revelations

**Unbelievable**

**Chapter Two: Revelations**

I was still stunned into stillness when the instructor called my name, his confusion present in full-force. "Rosalie Hale," he said slowly, glancing between myself and my – my daughter.

"Here," I responded, the word slipping between my lips automatically, my tone cold and my voice hard, inviting no question as to my relationship with Isabella. He took the hint and moved on to the rest of his list, but I paid him no attention.

All of my senses were trained on the girl sitting next to me, so I clearly heard her soft gasp at the confirmation of my identity. My muscles tightened in response to my increasingly frayed nerves. I began wondering what, if anything, she knew about me. Could she know that I was her mother?

If she truly did know, then what must she think of my appearance? By all accounts, we could almost pass for twins, if I hadn't already been nearly twenty when I was changed. Regardless, it was clear that she knew something, else she wouldn't have reacted so strongly upon hearing my name.

A shiver of longing ran down my spine. Despite the position that it would put her in, the position that it would put the rest of my family in, I wanted her to know me as her mother. I wanted her to truly be my daughter in every way, in practice as well as blood. I was still reeling from the knowledge that she hadn't died seventeen years ago, and the strength of the longing that rushed through my body was nearly enough to overwhelm my strict control and leave me kneeling at my little girl's feet.

It was all I could do to keep myself in my seat until class ended, and I was the first one out the door. In my last class of the day, I was increasingly agitated and restless, my thoughts swirling chaotically in my mind. The uncertainty of the near future unnerved me a bit, but it wasn't enough to overcome the euphoria that I felt upon being reunited with my only child. For me, it was as if she'd risen from the dead, after I'd mourned her for more than a decade.

Finally, I was released from my torment when school ended, and I rushed to the student parking lot, eager to catch a glimpse of her before she left for the day. I wasn't disappointed when she emerged not long after I reached a point where I could see all the paths leading into the lot.

The tension left my body as I observed her. She had grown into such a beautiful young woman, the absolute picture of perfection. Not only that, she carried herself with such strength, such elegance and confidence, as if she could take on the world without a second thought. It was an amazing sight. It took my breath away.

"Rose?" Emmett's voice called to me hesitantly, and I hummed quietly in response, though my eyes never left my daughter. It wasn't until she climbed into her truck – a fairly new, black F-150 – and drove away, that I turned my head to look at my mate. He was watching me curiously, as were my brother and sister, who were standing behind him.

I smiled widely at them, and their eyes all widened, causing me to laugh joyfully. "I'll explain everything to you once we get home," I promised, taking my husband's hand to pull him to my car.

He let me lead him, getting in the passenger's side without protest. His eyes followed me until I joined him in the car. "I love hearing you laugh, Rosie," he said lovingly, with a wide grin stretching his lips. "You should do it more often," he added, leaning over to kiss me on the cheek.

I looked away from the road to stare into his eyes, happiness surging through my body. "I wouldn't worry about that, Em. I have a feeling that I will be doing it a lot more often, after today," I winked at him, loving how his golden eyes sparkled as he stared back at me.

Eager as I was to get home, I couldn't help pushing my car to its limits, leaving Alice dutifully matching my speeds in her Porsche Turbo 911. It had been a gift from Jasper, canary yellow just as she'd requested. Naturally, it had shown up in our driveway the very day after she'd asked my brother to get it for her – that was why Jasper handled all of our legal connections: the man knew how to get things done fast and done right.

The only negative of having such fast cars was the fact that we rarely indulged in the speeds that they were capable of, but I was pulling out all the stops. So, it was no surprise to me that we got home in half the time that it usually took us to get there, and I didn't even bother putting my car in the garage the way that I usually did.

The moment that I shut the car off, I was out of it and running into the house. "Mom, Dad!" I called, waiting impatiently in the living room. My emotions had been building ever since fifth period, when I discovered the truth, and it felt as though I'd self-destruct if I didn't share my news as soon as possible. Thankfully, Carlisle was on vacation from the hospital for the next two weeks, so I wouldn't have to wait for him to arrive home.

Esme and Carlisle both rushed down the stairs, identical looks of shock on their faces. It was incredibly rare that I greeted them with the affectionate titles, so I could understand their shock. "Is everything alright, Rose?" Esme asked urgently, her eyes reflexively scanning me for any sign of injury.

My lips twitched into a small smile, and I shook my head negatively. "No, I'm fine, everything is fine, everything is…wonderful," I laughed delightedly, and my pseudo-parents stared in awe. "Please have a seat, all of you."

Everyone took places on the couches, Emmett on the edge of our favorite armchair. It was clear in their eyes that they couldn't take the suspense, and neither could I, to tell the truth. So, I took a deep breath and bit the bullet.

"I left something out of my story, when I told all of you about my history," I began, drawing cautiously intrigued looks from everyone. They'd heard enough of my human life to be wary about what I might reveal to them. "When I was seventeen, I got pregnant," I revealed, forced to stop and wait until my family had calmed enough for me to continue.

"My parents were furious, and they threatened to throw me out a dozen times. But they couldn't change it and they couldn't force me to have an abortion, so I carried my baby for nine months. Then, when I was eighteen, I gave birth to a six-pounds-and-seven-ounces little girl," I said softly, remembering what she'd looked like when I held her for the first time, for the last time. It was the clearest memory that I had of my human life, as clear as if I'd seen it through my immortal eyes.

The family was quiet as I went on, almost as though they were in shock. _Can vampires go into shock?_ "I named her Isabella Violet Hale, and she was the most perfect thing I'd ever seen. I would have been afraid to hold her if it didn't feel so right, that one time…" I trailed off, pain leaking into my voice. Even knowing, now, that she is still alive, it didn't erase all of the pain that I'd carried for so long.

"One?" Esme asked me, finding her voice, her concern evident in that single syllable. She knew what it was like to lose a child. Her son, her own newborn baby, had died only a few days after his birth, due to a lung infection.

I cleared my throat needlessly, glancing at Em's glassy gaze. "The next morning, my parents told me that she'd passed away suddenly, while I was sleeping. They said that they'd already taken care of everything because it would be better for me to remember her as being alive," I said bitterly, hate making my voice sharp and icy. "I only ever held her once, but I never forgot her. I just couldn't tell you, any of you, about her, before. It hurt too much," I admitted, finding myself in both Esme's and Emmett's arms before I'd finished speaking.

"I'm so sorry, darling," the caramel-haired vampire breathed, her arms wrapped around me tightly. Emmett's hands were on my shoulders, and his lips were pressed into my hair.

The strong embrace of my mate and the soothing comfort of my mother, the woman who'd been more a mother to me than my biological mother, calmed me almost instantly. I pulled back from the two of them a bit, my elation returning as I prepared to share the next portion of my news, and Jasper gave me a puzzled frown.

"Today, you all saw that I was acting strangely," I mentioned to my siblings and Emmett. "I was upset at first because I happened to hear that the new girl's name is Isabella, and of course I thought of my daughter. Still, I was intrigued because she reacted oddly when the girls she was sitting with gave her my name. I didn't know why she seemed so stunned, but I figured it out when I went to my fifth period class. She was there, and I learned her name when the teacher took attendance."

"What was it?" Alice asked curiously, gold eyes wide, leaning forward in her seat.

"Her name is Isabella Hale," I said bluntly, and she flinched back in surprise. "I saw her today, it's her, my daughter," I added excitedly, my absurd happiness surging freely.

"Are you sure that it was her, Rosalie?" Carlisle asked incredulously, his voice respectful. He wasn't asking to make me unhappy, I could tell. He just didn't want me to get my hopes up, get too invested and then be let down.

I nodded strongly. "I'm absolutely certain. She looks just like me, almost as if she was my clone rather than my daughter. She has the same pale skin, the same features, even the same lavender-blue eyes that I had when I was human. She's seventeen years old, and she's so beautiful," I breathed out, and Carlisle's eyes softened as I spoke. Esme looked like she might explode from happiness, as she stood back by his side.

"I'm so happy for you, sister," Jasper drawled in his trademark southern accent, a wide smile on his face. "What do you plan to do, though? Will we be able to meet her?" he asked eagerly.

"I would love for you all to meet her!" I grinned, before my smile faltered the slightest bit. "I'm just not sure that it's safe for her," I admitted, biting my lip.

Em hugged me tenderly, his arms wrapped around my waist from behind, his chin resting gently on my shoulder. "What are you afraid of, Rosie?" he asked quietly, knowingly. He knew me so very well, and I loved him all the more for it.

"None of us would ever hurt her, and I know that. But we're not the ones I'm worried about. If the Volturi ever found out that she knew of our existence, they'd kill her on the spot before coming after us," I pointed out sadly, my heart aching at the thought.

Jasper was about to speak, but I held up a finger, signaling that I wasn't done yet. "Still, I'm not sure that I have a choice but to tell her, anyway. I'm almost sure that she knows I'm her mother. She recognized me today, and even though she hasn't asked any questions yet, I'm sure that she will very soon," I told them all, taking in their mixture of expressions, all of them some combination of varying degrees of happiness and distress.

My brother spoke up when it became clear that I'd finished speaking. "Well, Rose, I honestly don't think that you really have a choice in telling her," he said candidly. "You love her far too much to just let her go on without being a part of her life. Then, there's the fact that you're undoubtedly right about her asking questions. It wouldn't be impossible for her to figure things out on her own, if she put her mind to it. Besides that, none of us want to pass up this incredible opportunity to get to know the youngest member of our family," he said wisely, clearly going off of the family's feelings in the moment, and Carlisle stepped in.

"The Volturi won't be a problem, either, Rose," he assured me. "They would only consider the law broken if she remained human with knowledge of our secret."

I started to protest, but was stopped by my mother's hand on my arm. "Rose, darling, you know that you can't let her die," she said softly, instantly stopping me cold. "If she were to remain human, she would eventually die. It would be inevitable, and you know that, as her mother, you couldn't allow that to happen. You'll have to change her, your instincts won't allow anything else," Esme told me, sadness flickering in her eyes, and I released a long sigh.

I leaned back into Emmett's chest. "You're right, you're all right. I'll…I'll talk to her tomorrow after school, and if she agrees, I'll bring her to the house. I can explain things to her, and then you all can meet her," I said strongly, that same longing rising up in me.

"Come for a run with me, babe," Em requested gently, and I nodded in agreement. "We'll be back in the morning," he told the others, before we ran out the door and into the woods that surrounded the house.

We ran for miles and miles, jumping rivers and streams, playing tag in the treetops, our laughter ringing through the air. Despite the deep conversation that we'd just had with the family, this was what Emmett and I thrived on, though I'd only ever experienced it with him. Finally, though, we slowed and stopped in a small clearing, facing each other as we stood in each other's arms.

"I'm sorry that I never told you about her," I apologized, starting the conversation that we both knew was coming. He didn't respond, waiting for me to get it all out. "It was just so painful to even think about her. It never got any easier, no matter how much time has gone by. I like to think that I would have gotten up the courage to tell you about her eventually, but…" I trailed off, ashamed of my weakness.

"Hey," he said, cupping my cheek in his hand. "It's alright, Rose. I understand, and I can see how hard this is for you even now, knowing that she's alive. It's okay, really," he insisted, a small smile curving his lips up.

I pressed a kiss onto his jaw. "I love you so much, Em," I murmured, my ecstatic mood returning, evolving as my husband's touch warmed me, soothed me. "Only you," I whispered, trailing kisses down his neck before leaning back just enough that I could see his face.

His arms slid around me. "I love you, too, Rose," he chuckled, leaning in to kiss me once more. He held me for hours, and I felt so content. I was incredibly anxious to finally speak with my daughter for the first time, but I was also the calmest I'd felt since that day, seventeen years ago.

The longing throbbed in my chest, and I hummed quietly. _Soon,_ I thought in satisfaction. _I'll see her soon._ For once, I couldn't wait to go to school.

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Well, the second chapter is officially edited and enhanced! What do you all think? I'm much happier with this version. To all my repeat readers, those of you who read this story in its original format: What do you say? Better, yes? As for those of you reading this for the first time: Please, let me know your comments and concerns! I love to hear from my readers!**

"**Can vampires go into shock?" I borrowed that one from **_**Breaking Dawn**_**. I just couldn't resist, when it popped into my head!**

**As for updates, I've decided on a set schedule of 2 Weeks per chapter. That gives me plenty of time to perfect things, but if you're lucky, you'll get some surprise updates, too!**

**Thanks for reading everyone!**

**Next Update: 9/23/2014**

**~A Thousand Undiscovered Stars**


	3. What-ifs

**Unbelievable**

**Chapter Three: What-ifs**

I let out a soft, anxious sigh. It was almost time for school, and my nerves were going haywire with near-equal amounts of excitement and dread. Isabella would be there and – while I was eager to see her once more, eager to confirm that I wasn't imagining her – I was less than enthusiastic to introduce her into my world, into the world of vampires.

The supernatural world was a dangerous place, and I couldn't help worrying for the safety of my only child. While she was human, there was always the threat that I could lose her, that she could be hurt, and it was enough to drive me crazy. I'd felt what it was like to lose her forever, and I never wanted to experience that again. It just wasn't an option because not even Emmett could heal my broken heart if she vanished from my life once more. The pain would be unbearable…

Emmett interrupted my thoughts when he entered our bedroom, a wide smile forming on his face when he took in what I was currently wearing. "Hey, babe, is that what you're wearing today? 'Cause I vote hell yeah!" he said cockily, his eyes skimming over my body, which was clad only in a pair of low-rise designer jeans and a lacy black bra. His golden orbs lingered on my breasts, and I held back a pleased smirk. In spite of my past, I was admittedly vain enough to revel in the attention my mate paid to my body.

I rolled my eyes at him, pulling on my black polo shirt and dark brown leather jacket. "No, Emmett, I'm afraid not. You'll just have to keep the image of my half-naked body all to yourself," I said, a fake-apologetic tone in my voice, and his delighted laughter rang through the air.

"Good, I like it better that way, anyway. I'd have to kill anyone who dared to look at you that way," he chuckled teasingly as he crossed the room and placed a lingering kiss on my lips. I rested my head on his muscular chest once we pulled apart, and he hummed happily before becoming a bit more serious. "So, how are you feeling about everything?" he asked me, clearly referring to us letting my daughter in on the secret, and I smiled a bit.

"I'm a little on edge," I said candidly, "but this is what I want. There's just no way that I could keep this from her, and I really don't want to. I want to have all the time in the world to get to know her. I want to have a relationship with her and get to know my daughter after missing out on the first seventeen years of her life," I said firmly, my smile growing larger as I spoke.

For the past seventeen years, I'd held no hope whatsoever of getting the chance to do any of those things. I'd mourned and wished and tormented myself with thoughts of what-ifs, but I'd never _hoped_. Now, I hoped for the sun, the moon, and the stars - it felt like flying or falling from so high in the sky that it's almost as if your feet will never touch the ground again. It was an intoxicating sensation, and I loved it.

My mate's arms held me tighter, and I relished in the feeling of his embrace. We fit so perfectly together, as if we truly were just two halves of one whole. It was bliss-inducing to just be held by him, and I could almost – _almost _– believe that I'd be perfectly happy to remain there forever, never moving and never wanting for anything or anyone else…

I pulled back with a soft smile and tugged on his hand. We walked together down the stairs and into the living room, where I saw our parents lounging on one of the couches together, Esme held comfortably against Carlisle's side. Alice and Jasper had left already so that they could help out in the library before school, since Alice had taken a particular liking to the librarian, a nice middle-aged woman who was fascinated with the 1920's – which happened to be Alice's favorite decade.

At that moment, Carlisle glanced up and his eyes lit upon seeing the two of us. "Emmett, before you go to school, would you mind helping me finish clearing those dead trees from beside the river?" he asked with a gentle smile, though his smile grew into a wide grin when my bear-like husband let out a loud, childish whoop of excitement.

"You don't mind if I go, do you, Rose?" he asked with an eager, lopsided grin, his joy growing when I shook my head. "Thanks a lot, babe! Come on, old man!" Em cried, rushing out the door and leaving Carlisle to run after him with his laughter ringing through the air. Despite the fact that he was a grown man in his own right, Emmett had no problem letting loose and having some fun - not to mention the fact that he was always game for a chance to use his impressive strength.

I smirked wryly, catching the amused smile on Esme's face when she turned to me, gesturing with her hand for me to join her. When I took the seat that Carlisle had previously occupied, she wrapped a loving arm around my shoulders and drew me into a warm hug. I relaxed into her embrace, soaking up the motherly affection.

For the longest time, I rejected much of Esme's tender care for me because it was so foreign. My biological mother had been a heartless shrew, who was more concerned with her status and wealth than raising me. She paid just enough attention to me to ensure that I would be a positive representation of the family, not that it did her much good in the end. Naturally, after I got pregnant, she considered it a waste of time to grace me with her presence - that was an added bonus for me.

So, when Esme began to become attached to me and act upon her motherly instincts, I chafed at the attention. I'd never known a mother's love from the perspective of a child, only ever having experienced it from the perspective of a mother from my time carrying Isabella for those magnificent nine months. After all, to me it was as if she was just trying to control me, the same way that my biological mother tried so very hard to force me to fit into the mold of a perfect and proper daughter.

Eventually, though, I began to relax and accept her loving gestures, and I'd never regretted it. The more that I let her in, the more that I began accepting her as my true mother, the happier that I was, even through the grief of losing my only child. Now, I felt like I just couldn't get enough, and I felt a thrill go through me at the knowledge that I would have centuries upon centuries to feel this love.

"How are you today, darling?" she asked quietly, as her hand began sifting gently through my golden tresses, a favorite pastime of hers from years gone by. Whenever I was upset or agitated, she sifted through my hair with her fingers or brushed it to perfect softness.

I hummed contentedly. "I'm afraid." The words slipped from tongue without a thought, and I surprised myself with them, though Esme's hand never faltered in her soothing motions. That much didn't surprise me. As little as I wanted to admit, particularly in the beginning, she knew me better than I knew myself sometimes - I suppose that was just part of being a mother.

She held me closer and placed a soft kiss atop my head. "Why are you afraid, Rosalie Lillian?" she wondered, and I almost smiled. Esme was the only person I'd ever allowed to call me that. If she'd been anyone else, I'd have threatened to rip them apart.

I considered her question for a moment. Why was I afraid? Logically, I should have been afraid of rejection, but I could feel in my heart that Isabella wouldn't reject me. I could see in her eyes that she already knew something, though I had no idea what that might be. No, I was afraid because…

"I'm afraid of the past," I confessed softly. "I'm afraid of all the things that she's been through in her life, the good and the bad. I don't know if she's had a happy life or if she's been hurt or sad or angry… I wasn't there, Mom. I wasn't there for her through any of it, and it scares me," I whispered, and my body shook with a silent sob.

Now that I'd given it a bit of thought, the fear consumed me. It may not have been my choice, but I hadn't been there for her over the course of her entire life. I'd missed every birthday, every holiday, every first day of school, every lazy weekend. I wasn't there for her first time riding a bike, her first kiss, her first date. I'd missed everything.

What if she hated me? What if she couldn't forgive me for being absent for so much of her life? No matter what, it was my responsibility to be there for her, and I'd failed.

_...Can I really handle it if she can't forgive me?_

"Shh…" Esme cooed into my ear. "Everything is going to be alright, Rose, I promise you that. I'm no Alice, but I know that she won't be angry with you for things that you can't control. Whether her life was or wasn't the greatest in the past has no impact on the future. You're going to be with her from here on out, and that's what really counts in the end."

As her words sank in, I started to feel better about the whole situation, and I let out a deep breath. "You're right," I murmured after taking a moment to think about it. "You're right. I'm really just anxious, I guess, and I got a little carried away," I said sheepishly, a rare state of being for me.

She chuckled before leaning back and glancing at the clock. "You should probably call Emmett back to the house and get going. If you don't leave soon, you'll be late to school, even if you all but break the sound barrier getting there," she teased lightly, and I laughed once in agreement upon seeing how late it'd gotten.

"I'll see you later, Mom," I told her, placing a kiss on her cheek before I got up. I paused for a moment on my way out of the house when she called my name. "Yes?" I wondered, turning around to meet her gaze questioningly.

"Try to bring my granddaughter home to meet the rest of the family after school, would you?" she asked innocently, a bright twinkle in her golden eyes.

I laughed happily, my good humor restored once more. It was going to be a great day, and I wasn't going to let anything bring me down. My daughter was back in my life, and I was going to celebrate, not waste my time agonizing over what-ifs. "Of course," I agreed excitedly, rushing out to grab my mate and get going.

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: Hey, everyone! I'm so sorry about the late update. It's been a crazy few months, unfortunately filled with a series of misfortunate events – not the least of which being that my computer crashed and was sadly beyond saving. :( But now I've got a new one and am free to continue writing! **

**Anyway, I hope that you all enjoyed the third chapter! I really enjoyed writing it, and I'm excited to move on the next one - I just wanted to go ahead and get this chapter out because you've all been waiting for so long. So, let me know what you thought with a review! Another chapter down, now on to the next one!**

**Thanks for reading, everyone!**

**~A Thousand Undiscovered Stars**


	4. Secrets

**Unbelievable**

**Chapter Four: Secrets**

I pulled into the school parking lot, and my eyes were instantly drawn to the black pickup truck parked across the lot. Isabella was leaning nonchalantly against the corner of the tailgate, her expression an odd mixture of amusement and intense focus. A smirk hovered about her lips, and her eyes snapped up to meet mine. Oddly enough, the moment our eyes met, it was as if I couldn't look away from the knowledgeable glint in her violet-blue eyes. However, my concentration was quickly broken when I heard a loud squealing noise pierce the still morning air.

A faded gray van, which was being driven by an annoying teenage boy named Tyler Crowley, slid across the parking lot, the tires traction-less against the black ice that I'd not even noticed on the drive from home. The out of control vehicle and the panicked boy inside were heading straight for my smirking daughter, and I felt a deep sensation of horror welling up inside of me.

"Don't move."

Those words were the only thing that stopped me from rushing to her side and standing in the way of the hunk of metal heading straight for her, my family's secret be damned. Her voice was calm, despite the situation, and she smiled a bit, winking just before the van reached her. I was paralyzed, frozen into inaction by her bizarre reaction to her own impending doom.

That's when it happened.

The van had been mere seconds away from crushing her, and she _moved_ so quickly that I barely saw her, even with my impeccably sharp vampiric vision. One moment she was leaning against the tailgate of her truck, and the next moment she was perched on the hood as if she'd been there all the time. Tyler's van just barely missed her truck by less than an inch, instead crashing into the ancient Toyota parked next to her.

Screams rang out, but I hardly noticed. I was too busy staring at Isabella's relaxed expression, dumbfounded by her seeming unconcern with what had just occurred, not to mention the impossibility of what she had just done. The steady sound of her heartbeat stood in stark contrast with what I'd just witnessed, and it was only when Emmett's hand wrapped around my wrist that I came back to reality.

"Oh, God..." The words escaped my lips in a breathless murmur, and my mate was wide-eyed and slack-jawed when I spared a glance in his direction. "What the hell just happened?" I demanded, my voice too quiet for any human to possibly hear, my lips moving so fast that any human would think they were merely quivering as I breathed in and out.

"That was so fucking awesome!" Em responded at the same volume, awe clear in his voice, and I slapped the back of his head almost reflexively. I loved my mate, but he was a bit oblivious on occasion and I had no patience for his antics after what I'd just witnessed.

Isabella laughed the second my palm met Emmett's head, before hopping onto the ground and striding toward the school doors. Immediately, I followed after her, leaving Emmett with a quick kiss. I had to be certain that she was unharmed, though I'd seen that she was perfectly fine, against all odds. I had to know what was going on, what she knew and what she didn't know. No human could possibly have moved at the speed at which she had moved mere moments ago. No amount of adrenaline could account for such incredible swiftness.

That left only one possible conclusion, one that didn't fit with everything else I'd seen of her so far: she wasn't human.

At the same time, I didn't see how she could be anything _but_ human. Her heart was beating and there was blood flowing through her veins, but her scent didn't provoke my thirst in any way. Nor did she incite the thirst of my siblings or mate. She moved as quickly as a vampire, perhaps even more so, but she exhibited no sign of the typical vampiric frustration of moving at human speed. She spoke to me in a way that clearly demonstrated the fact that she knew that I would hear her, and she also seemed to hear my conversation with Emmett.

The most convincing piece of evidence as proof of her humanity, however, was the fact that I'd been human when I conceived and carried her, and her father had also been undeniably human. I would have noticed if he'd been as spectacular as even the dullest of vampires, and he had been distinctly mortal, though he was certainly far above the average human – I wouldn't have accepted anything less.

I shook my head in frustration and confusion, my eyes never leaving the back of her head as I trailed her through the hallways filled with complaining teenagers, all of them whining about how early it was. My lips twitched into a frown when she approached the doors leading out of the school and swiftly exited through them. That side of the school backed up to the forest, and Isabella didn't hesitate to melt into the thick undergrowth, vanishing into the haze of green.

I sped up, unwilling to lose sight of her, and I was stunned to find that I had _already_ lost sight of her. Panic welled up in my chest, but I forced myself to follow her scent trail, inhaling the familiar scent - I'd never forgotten that incredible smell from my all too brief time with her when she was born - which wound deeper into the woods. The trail eventually led me into a small clearing, where I found her waiting for me, sitting patiently on a large rock outcropping. Her eyes were closed, but it was obvious that she wasn't sleeping, particularly when she spoke.

"Hello, Rosalie." Her eyes opened, and I searched them intently for answers. "I'm sure that you have questions, but before we begin I want to be perfectly clear when I say that there are some things that I'm not ready to speak to you about," she told me seriously, a solemn frown on her face. It seemed almost as if she was conflicted about the words even as she said them, but I didn't mention it.

I nodded slowly. "I understand," I responded honestly. At the moment, she held all the cards, and I didn't feel that I had any right to _demand _anything of her, regardless of the situation. If she wanted me to know something, then she would tell me. It was rather simple, and I was content to keep it that way for as long as she wanted. After spending so long without her, I was glad simply to be in her presence.

She smiled with genuine happiness, and my heart melted at the sight. "In that case, you should know that I'm aware of the fact that you are my birth mother," she said quietly, her eyes growing a bit softer.

My own eyes widened. I was blown away, despite the fact that I'd suspected that she _must _know. It was one thing to _suspect_ and quite a different thing to _know_ that my daughter knew who I was. "How?" I breathed, the question falling unbidden from my lips. It wasn't impossible that she should know – in fact, it was fairly obvious – but I had to know.

"I researched my birth and, after learning your name, I searched for all of the information about you that I could find," she told me candidly, tilting her head as if to study me where I stood before her. For a moment, she reminded me of Carlisle when he was observing a patient's behavior. "I learned everything ever recorded about your life, all the way up until your disappearance, which I assume was the date of your transformation," she concluded with a shrug.

I couldn't help the proud smirk that formed on my face, before I was reminded of the seriousness of the situation. As much as I wanted to know how she felt about being my daughter, there was a more pressing matter at hand - Isabella's actions in the school parking lot. "As glad as I am that you know all of that, I have to ask you something," I said, watching her carefully for her reaction. She simply smiled, her eyes unreadable.

"Feel free to ask me anything," Isabella told me, not giving anything away with her expression or her voice.

"What just happened in the parking lot? How did you move so quickly?" The words rushed from my mouth, my curiosity reaching new heights. "Everything I know about the human race tells me that you shouldn't have been able to do what you do. All my senses tell me that you're human, but you moved faster than most vampires and acted as if it was nothing to you," I murmured, confusion washing over me once more. None of it added up.

Isabella chuckled quietly. "That's one of those things that I'm not willing to answer," she said firmly, her voice calm. "However, I will tell you that I'm not fully human, though I was at one time. A lot of things have happened in the past seventeen years," she said thoughtfully, a hint of darkness creeping into her voice.

Those few sentences set off an alarm in my brain, and I began to worry more than ever about what I'd missed in my daughter's life. I couldn't dwell on that just yet, though. "I hope that eventually you'll feel differently, but I understand wanting to keep things private," I said truthfully, trying not to let on just how much I wanted to be close to her. The bell rang for first period, and I frowned. "Would you please join my family and I for lunch in the cafeteria later? They're all excited to meet you," I confessed, and she grinned.

"I'd love to, but I'll see you before then," she commented. "After yesterday, I convinced the office staff to fit my schedule to yours. They weren't exactly eager, but I insisted that it was best for me to be close to my long lost twin sister," Isabella elaborated upon seeing my questioning look.

I grinned when I heard the cover story that she'd come up with for the two of us. It was perfectly believable because she'd grown to resemble me exactly, apart from the golden eyes that I now sported. Although, I was slightly put off at the thought of being called her sister, I knew that it was best for everyone involved. The humans weren't quite gullible enough to believe that I was her mother when we both looked the same age and were enrolled in the same year of high school.

"In that case, would you mind it if I walked you to class?" I wondered, eager to spend more time with my daughter.

"I'd love to, but there's something that I have to take care of this morning. So, I won't actually be going to class until third period, but I'll see you then. We can talk some more," she said with a soft smile.

"I'd like that." I covered up my disappointment with a quiet sigh, but a knowing glint appeared in her eyes that implied that she could hear me. "I suppose, I'll see you then. I hope that everything goes well for you," I answered vaguely, unsure how to respond to her ambiguous mention of having something to do. I would have loved to ask her what she was doing, but I felt that it might be too personal of a question when we'd only spoken once.

Isabella hummed. "I have a feeling that everything is going to go perfectly... I'll see you then, Rosalie," she said, giving me a small salute before turning and vanishing farther into the forest. "Tell Emmett, Alice, and Jasper that I said hi," she called back to me, her voice fading.

I shook my head in amazement, getting the uncanny feeling that my life was about to get a lot more interesting with Isabella in my life, and I wasn't too sure yet if that was an entirely good thing or not...

**To Be Continued.**

**A/N: I loved writing this chapter! It's great getting further into the storyline with Rosalie and Isabella - lots of secrets and a couple of answers showing up in this chapter! Things should be becoming clearer in the near future, but we have a long way to go yet! I hope that you all enjoyed! Let me know with a review, and thanks for reading!**

**~A Thousand Undiscovered Stars**


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